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Windows Phone 8 Features Announced at the Summit

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Microsoft today finally announced Windows Phone 8 and revealed lots of news features of the secretly kept operating system. Though many had been already cited in videos and leaks, there are still many to be noticed here. Below is the list

Live Apps to customize lock screen which in turn the notification system for Windows Phone on lock screen.

New Facebook App that lets you access the Facebook calendar, events and notifications right from the lock screen.

You will be able to Pin Your photos, documents, places you visited. This is very similar to recent Xbox Pin to Home feature

You can tap to zoom any where on Windows Phone 8. Its an OS feature.

Multitasking : Now it is possible for apps to resume from where it was left when a user launches it from Start Screen Live Tile. Previously, It used to relaunch the app.

Word Flow : This feature allows your keyboard to learn what you going to type next which includes predicting your contacts name which is most of often used. It is integrated in the OS so it can learn from anywhere you type.

Skype integrated naturally to receive calls like you do on your regular phone, always on. It also makes sure that it does not hit the battery consumption unlike the apps running in background.

Data Sense to understand how you consume data and the OS learns it so you consume less data. An integrated system in the cloud and a client on Phone to compress it. You can see data usage according to apps which includes IE usage. It also includes data consumed by Live Tiles. However an operator needs to enable it.

Kids Corner : This will make it easy for your kids to use your phone without touching your personal data and it will help accidental app purchases or in app purchases. It lets parents select Apps, Games. Music, Videos for kids to play with it.

The Photo Gallery in Kids Corner has no access to photos which is taken by you, it can only see what is taken by your kid.

Rooms : This lets you create a Group Chat like thing which includes Calendars, Photos, Notes etc. All the data is private to whoever joins the room. The calendar can be seen in the iPhone calendar also. This is amazing stuff!!!. Seems like this is going to some kind of private feed, so it should come up anywhere, including Android.

The real question here is how will non Windows Phone 8 users, specially Android and iPhone users will get access to OneNote Docs.

Also the new Games Hub provides turn notifications, friend requests, beacons and new message alerts from your Xbox friends.

Also Windows 8 has an official Client for Windows Phone 8, named as Windows Phone which actually has replaced Zune and it can :

Sync music, photos and videos from your computer to your phone.

Displays how much space is occupied by photos, videos, apps etc.

Launch WindowsPhone.com to download apps.

You will be able to copy files from Windows Phone 8 device when connected to your Computer using normal drag and drop. The SD card if inserted in the phone will appear as separate device in My Computer.

Launch date for Windows Phone 8 :

It will start rolling out in US this coming weekend, followed by rest of the world throughout November.

Samsung ATIV Odyssey coming in December

T-Mobile will have Lumia 810 and HTC 8X and expected around November 14th.